Olympics – Our Winners! And the Winning Politician – Tony Blair

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• See Tony on his secret mic & Cherie’s facial yoga exercises

Comment at end

20th August, 2008

BRITAIN NOW HAS 16 GOLD MEDALS – HIGHEST TOTAL FOR 100 YEARS!

Even if you don’t like sport, if you’re not cheering and congratulating our sportsmen and women today, you ain’t British.

We seem to be winning four gold medals a day in recent days, and now, of course, that’s what we expect to win!

Cycling, swimming, sailing, rowing, even running … the last one disproving Aussie jibes that we win everything “sitting down”! We could respond with – “it’s been so easy, we can do it seated”.

Here Tony Blair congratulated our cyclists on their unprecedented success.

Blair said: “It’s been unbelievable, amazing, a fantastic event for the country. They just showed such spirit, such determination and such enormous skill.”

CYCLING GOLD (3 GOLDS)

Olympian Chris Hoy became the first Briton in a century to win three gold medals at the same Games.

He won the all-British men’s sprint final against team mate Jason Kenny, who clinched silver. The Scotsman, with an audience including Tony and Cherie Blair, added to his wins in the team sprint and the Keirin.

He is the first British athlete to win three gold medals in a Games since swimmer Henry Taylor at the London games in 1908.

CYCLING – Women’s Sprint

Victoria Pendleton raises the union flag after her win

Victoria Pendleton wins gold, watched by Blair family

Tony Blair & daughter Kathryn applaud Pendleton's gold performance

Cyclists ride to glory

Chris Hoy wins gold, and Jason Kenny silver in Sprint Final

Britons haul seven golds out of 10 on track at Beijing Olympics

The former Prime Minister with family and friends in the velodrome

Peerless as leader of the pack

A spectator greets Tony Blair in the velodrome

Tony Blair sightseeing at Museum - Terra cotta Warrior

Mr & Mrs Blair at Museum in China

Viewing recently discovered ancient statues

In the Water Cube waching Rebecca Addlington take one of her two golds

RUNNING GOLD – 400 metres Christine Ohoraguo

Chrsitine Ohuruogo wins gold medal in 400 metres

SAILING GOLD FOR PAUL GOODISON in Laser Class

Paul Goodison wins his gold medal

And from the other day – SWIMMING GOLDS, Rebecca Addlington, (2 golds)

Rebecca Addlington takes a GOLD at Beijing, 800 metres freestyle

FURTHER REPORT on Cycling, Blair picture

Just had to add this one, though I was not intending to until a reader provided this explanation for me -

Tony Blair controls and instructs David Miliband & Gordon Brown through his secret microphone, while Cherie practises her facial yoga

But of course!

Why didn’t I think of this?

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MEDALS Roll of Honour

At-a-glance medals table

Tuesday, 19 August 2008 16:06 UK

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	TOTAL
1	China	43	14	19	76
2	USA	26	26	27	79
3	Great Britain	16	9	8	33
4	Australia	11	12	12	35
5	Germany	11	8	9	28
6	Russia	10	14	18	42
7	South Korea	8	10	6	24
8	Japan	8	6	8	22
9	Italy	6	6	7	19
10	Ukraine	5	4	8	17

Full interactive medal table

Team GB’s roll of honour

Ladbrokes betting – Brown may call an early election to take advantage of an Olympics “feel good factor”?

‘Ordinary young Chinese man’ receives good wishes from world leaders, including Blair

I empathised with this:

‘The former PM did however admit to not having a clue as to what was going on in the Madison race, but the format of the sprints is always a winner. Hoy and Pendleton delivered the cycling teams seventh and eighth medals and strengthened Great Britain’s incredible third spot in the medal table. “The fact is we’ve had a really good Olympic Games, and we can do even better the next time, that’s what we’re aiming for in London,” Blair said.’

The Blair family pictures below are from the Daily Mail where it mentions Blair’s new slimline look.

Most of the comments are nasty and ascerbic as usual at this Tory paper. What can you expect? There is, I am told, though I really couldn’t be bothered reading most of them, a commenter who says that Blair is funding his Olympic trip/holiday through his Sports Foundation!!!

Whoever said that should be wary; it sounds a libellous comment to me.

I sent a comment to The Mail, to try to balance the junk mail they get. But they decided long ago NEVER to use my comments. So, I thoughtfully pasted it here for my readers.

Most of the comments here are depressingly disappointing from my fellow countrymen. Blair was, is the consummate politician and did a great job for this country. History will prove this. PLEASE try your best to be civil.

We ARE British y’know.

In the Olympics, we are winners. And winners don’t moan and groan or harbour bitter envy.

I realise some of you are unable to recognise a winner when you see one.

It takes one to know one. (Thus Mr Blair has no problems here!)

;0)

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This Is London on Team GB – no, not Gordon Brown (TB, maybe)

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Tags: 1. Tony Blair, 16 golds, beijing olympics, Brown (Gordon Brown & his Labour Government, from June 2007), Cherie Booth Blair, chris hoy, Christine Ohoraguo, cyclists, gold medals, great britain, jason kenny, kathryn blair, paul goodison, running, sailing, silver medals, swimmers, team GB, victoria pendleton